House Call
by NovellaLuna
Summary: Paige's Storybrooke parents call the sheriff on account of a strange man lurking near their house one night. Set after 1x17 ('Hat Trick') with implied Emma/Jefferson.


**House Call**

Author's Note: This is all there will be for now, but I may add another chapter to follow on at a later point where the Emma/Jefferson relationship is more established as it's only implied here. Thank you for reading!

* * *

"A strange man outside your house?" Emma repeated for clarity.

"That's right. And this may just be my sleep deprived state talking, but I swear he was staring at my daughter's window." Mrs Roberts stated worriedly.

"And your daughter was the one who first noticed him?"

"Yes, Paige woke u-" the rest of the sentence became a blur to Emma. Paige. She knew exactly who the Roberts' midnight caller was. She hadn't seen him for weeks, not since Mary Margaret kicked him out of the window and he disappeared. Honesty she was hoping he'd had the good sense to leave town. Well, at least that's what she knew anyone rational would wish for.

"Hello? Are you still there, Miss Swan?" She asked, dragging Emma out of her thoughts.

"Yes!" She exclaimed suddenly, startling the poor woman. "Sorry, I'm here. Yes, thank you. That's all I need, I'll get working on it now."

"Don't you need me to describe him?" She asked, her confusion evident.

"No, it's fine – I have a lead. Other reports an-" She brushed the topic away. "I'll get back to you soon. But don't worry, I'll find him and put an end to this."

"Okay," she replied sceptically. "Thank you."

Emma sighed as she hung up realising she'd have to pay another visit to a particular resident madman. After grabbing the pepper spray, she wasn't going to take any risks after their last meeting, and her keys, she dragged her feet out to her car.

* * *

As she knocked on the door, she looked up at the large house and wondered how one man could live here alone. She almost felt sorry for him.

The door swung open suddenly, making Emma jump. "Ah, sheriff. I wondered when I would see you again. Come in." He gestured behind him with a smirk.

"Do you know why I'm here, Jefferson?" She scowled as she passed by, his pompousness already annoying her.

"Because I'm so irresistible?" He guided her to the front room.

"Someone saw you outside Paige's house last night." She neglected to mention that no one had actually said it was him.

"Grace," his expression quickly changed. "Her name is Grace."

"That's not the point. I know you think Pai- _Grace_ is your daughter-"

He cut in, "I _know_ she's my daughter."

"Yes, well." She decided to play along, she wasn't getting anywhere with this method. "If what you told me is true, then you're the only one that knows that. What do you think her paren- _the Roberts'_ thought when they saw you lurking around outside?"

"They should have been asleep." He muttered.

She hadn't expected him to own up to it so quickly. "You can't just go around sneaking outside houses." She continued when she saw he was about to make another snide comment, "even the houses of your children."

Finally, he was quiet. It was unnerving. She didn't believe what he'd been saying, but she could see that he did and she felt for him. She knew what it was like to watch your child with someone else – she understood the pain of seeing someone else do the job that you should do. She stood in silence and watched as he fell back into an armchair and dragged a hand across his face.

He looked so vulnerable in this moment that Emma forgot where she was and what she was doing. As he bowed his head and let his fingers steeple against his chin, Emma took the time to regard his soft features – he was beautiful.

"It was her birthday." He whispered, almost inaudibly.

"Sorry?" Emma choked, embarrassed.

"Grace. It was her birthday yesterday. Back home-" he began to smile, "we'd have special tea parties to celebrate. We'd always go into the forest opposite our house with a basket in the morning and come back later in the afternoon when I'd give her a present. I'd save money all year."

Emma, not knowing what to say, took a few cautionary steps towards him and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"They even changed her birthday here. But I always visit on the right day. Every year for the last 28 years I've watched her birthday's go by without her getting older. Can you even imagine what that's like?"

He stood up and took her arms in his hands, pleading with her. She shook her head, speechless. His face loomed close and she wanted to look away from his intense gaze, but found herself unable. After what felt like an eternity, his grip loosened as he turned to step away but Emma held on. She felt her heart race – matching her incoherent thoughts.

Emma felt herself drawn to him despite her better judgement. The things he was saying, though based in fantasy, rang true to her. She felt like he understood her better than anyone else she'd met in this town and that on some level, she too understood him. They had more in common than she'd usually care to admit.

"Promise me you won't do that again." She found her voice. A hurt expression crossed his face as he considered what she was asking. Wanting to wipe it away, she added, "If there really is a curse, and I really am the one that will break it, then you will be with her again. You just have to have faith and trust that I will get there eventually."

"You don't even believe in the curse," he frowned.

"But if it really is true-" she couldn't believe what she was saying, "-then who's to say I won't get there?"

"You're asking a lot."

"So are you."

"Point taken," he smirked. After a pause, Jefferson continued, "you have a year. I promise I won't visit her until her next birthday."

"A year." She agreed and added in her thoughts, _at least that's a start._


End file.
